Author: George
Location: Atlanta
Title: Remorse
Directed by: James Gray
Written by: James Gray and Ric Menello
Music by: Gabriel Yared
Cinematography by: Vittorio Storaro
Production Design by: Happy Massee
Costumes by: Natalie Ward
Edited by: John Axelrad
Cast:
Joaquin Phoenix as Jacob Parks
Vera Farmiga as Samantha Morris
Neal McDonough as Ron Morris
Dakota Blue Richards as Jane Morris
Sam Anderson as Police Chief Rawlins
And
Sigourney Weaver as Linda Cross
Tagline: “It’s never possible to both forgive and forget”
Synopsis:
He went into his new apartment gripping his hat tightly and looking around a bit nervously. Linda came up behind him and handed him the keys, but he looked back with more sorrow than happiness. Linda smiled back at him and told him that if he never needed anything else she would be there. She left and he looked out his window at the beautiful autumn, taken over by the orange Manhattan horizon. His name was Jacob Parks and he had never been to New York City before.
He went into Ron’s Repair and met his boss Ron Morris. Ron had been told to hire Jacob, but is still not happy with someone as introverted and odd as Jacob working for him. Jacob promises to be no trouble and can work his way around a car. Ron tells him that New York is no place for a slow worker, and Jacob promises to work fast.
Ron’s wife Samantha comes over to the shop one day to say hi to the new employees and is a bit taken aback by Jacob’s raw nervousness. She asks where he lives and it is in the apartment building across the street from her, Ron, and their daughter Jane. She invites him over to dinner, much to Ron’s disdain, and Jacob refuses with some hostility. She tells him not to be afraid of her, and he later accepts with overtly restrained happiness.
Jacob comes over and meets the whole family. Ron asks him where he lived and what he did before moving here but Jacob remains vague and elusive, simply saying he lived around Pittsburgh doing odd jobs. Ron leaves for an emergency at the store, leaving the three of them together. Samantha offers a tour of the apartment, and Jacob hears Jane trying to play the piano. He carefully goes over to her and helps her get the keys right. Samantha is impressed and interested in Jacob’s ability to play and asks him to teach Jane to play. Jacob says he can’t and is a bit nervous, but Samantha convinces him and both are happy to continue seeing each other.
Jacob goes back and forth between Ron’s Repair and Ron’s family’s apartment while simply lying around and counting the seconds in his own. He becomes closer to Jane and especially to Samantha. She tells him that she knows he doesn’t have actual emergency repairs late at night and that she is thankful Jane has a consistent male presence in her life since Ron isn’t around. Jacob tells her it’s nothing and has enjoyed their time as well. Samantha tries to get physically closer as well but Jacob refuses with nervous energy.
Ron spots him with his wife and beings to ask questions to the local police chief in his precinct. He asks him to find something about this guy, that he is worried he will hurt his family. Police Chief Rawlins says he usually doesn’t do something like that for private citizens, but Ron gives him a handsome finder’s fee. Rawlins sees what he can do and contacts Pittsburgh’s police department.
Jacob comes back over to teach Jane but only Samantha is there. She tells him that she can see the hurt and trauma underneath him and tries to get him to talk, but he says it would change everything about who he is to her. Samantha doesn’t care and says she knows more about him through these weeks than anything else can. Jacob is about to cry, trying desperately to explain. Samantha tears up too and touches his face. Jacob finally gives in and embraces Samantha but right as they look at each other, Ron and Police Chief Rawlins come in to arrest him. Samantha screams why and Jacob tries to resist but gets hurt badly by Ron. He tells Samantha he’s sorry and taken to the precinct jail tank.
Jacob calls his lawyer and Linda hurries from Pittsburgh to be there the next morning. Ron demands to know why this pervert is living near them or with his kid and Samantha is shocked by this accusation. Linda tries to explain, but Jacob finally loses control and tells them what happened in Pittsburgh. He was arrested and tried to the rape and murder of a 9-year-old girl he was giving piano lessons to. All the evidence they had was circumstantial; she had died a mile from his studio, and his fingerprints were on her as well as hair. He had never had a prior criminal charge and it was blown out of proportion.
He was eventually cleared for lack of evidence but his reputation was finished. His studio closed down, but his lawyer Linda stayed with him and found him a job repairing cars in New York with the help of the courts that had wronged him. Everyone listening casts their eyes down, but Ron simply shakes his head in disgust and takes his family with him. Rawlins releases Jacob and Linda tries to hug him, but not before he bursts out of the station in tears.
Jacob is clearing out his apartment in silence when Samantha knocks on his door. He turns around in surprise and shame, but Samantha comes in regardless. She tells him not to leave, that they could make each other’s lives better. She says that their relationship has been the most real one she has had in a very long time and that Jacob has helped Jane as well. Jacob says that he wants to stay more than anything, that he would start a life with her if he could, but she can’t leave what she has and he doesn’t even know how to begin a normal relationship again. Samantha is in tears and Jacob comes in to hug her but she can’t unfold her arms. He kisses her on the cheek and Linda comes up to help him leave. Samantha wipes her tears away, looks out the window and sees Jacob drive away in Linda’s car with the cold Manhattan horizon preparing for winter.
Awards Campaign:
James Gray is quickly becoming a formidable force in American filmmaking with a focus on slow-moving character dramas that yield remarkable emotional results. His breakthrough film Two Lovers and this year’s The Immigrant show his taste for distinctly 70’s-style dramas that favor atmosphere and characters over immediate resolution and over-emotional pyrotechnics. And through his journey he has found the ultimate face of his style with Joaquin Phoenix who does nothing less in “Remorse” than give the performance of a lifetime.
“Remorse” is a film that is carried on Phoenix’s shoulders as a sheltered, humble, and shattered man with a traumatic past. His mannerisms and speech are all carefully calculated with either deep pain or unbridled happiness hidden under a sheen of nervous suspicion. As Jacob, Phoenix is given a chance to revert back to his beautifully subtle acting, none of his crazy smiles and loud readings we are accustomed to seeing. Gray has used Phoenix in most of his movies and he is just as effective and subtly beautiful here.
Vera Farmiga also gets the role of a lifetime as Samantha, what could have been another boring depressed housewife role is turned into something much more tender and heartfelt. Gray has always had a way with turning what could be huge melodramatics into quiet, heart-breaking moments and Farmiga does that just as well. She may seem inviting and showy, but she ends up being just as vulnerable and guarded as Jacob. Her journey of attraction to him and their ultimate resolution is one of breathtaking beauty and raw emotion.
The supporting cast is also fantastic with Neal McDonough in a big comeback performance as the suspicious and jealous Ron. McDonough uses his outward masculinity to masks the insecurities of his character beautifully. Sigourney Weaver is also a great choice as Jacob’s big-hearted lawyer with two pivotal scenes that show her commitment to her client and her principles.
Technically, the movie is just stunning led by an astounding turn by legendary cinematographer Vittorio Storaro. His muddy color palettes, sharp angles, and dramatic clashes between character and color are on display in Gray’s dank, cold New York, his favorite city to shoot in. John Axelrad’s editing is also perfectly suited for the slow pace of the story, but it is composer Gabriel Yared who really shines with a quiet and contemplative score that gives each emotional scene even more tender beauty. He is able to punch up the film so well, you hardly even notice the score because it fits so perfectly with the drama.
And while Gray and frequent collaborator Ric Menello’s screenplay features enough dark pasts and fragile romances to create a very depressing movie, “Remorse” is nevertheless one of the most beautiful films of the year. It allows the audience to, above all, be taken in by the connection between Phoenix and Farmiga (who have remarkable chemistry) and witness the birth of what could be true love. The bond between two lonely people has always been Gray’s trademark and it becomes the anchor to a film that remains as mysterious, hurt, and loving as its main protagonist. A remarkable film.
Nominations:
Best Picture
Best Actor – Joaquin Phoenix
Best Actress – Vera Farmiga
Best Supporting Actor – Neal McDonough
Best Director – James Gray
Best Original Screenplay – James Gray and Ric Menello
Best Score
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Editing
Location: Atlanta
Title: Remorse
Directed by: James Gray
Written by: James Gray and Ric Menello
Music by: Gabriel Yared
Cinematography by: Vittorio Storaro
Production Design by: Happy Massee
Costumes by: Natalie Ward
Edited by: John Axelrad
Cast:
Joaquin Phoenix as Jacob Parks
Vera Farmiga as Samantha Morris
Neal McDonough as Ron Morris
Dakota Blue Richards as Jane Morris
Sam Anderson as Police Chief Rawlins
And
Sigourney Weaver as Linda Cross
Tagline: “It’s never possible to both forgive and forget”
Synopsis:
He went into his new apartment gripping his hat tightly and looking around a bit nervously. Linda came up behind him and handed him the keys, but he looked back with more sorrow than happiness. Linda smiled back at him and told him that if he never needed anything else she would be there. She left and he looked out his window at the beautiful autumn, taken over by the orange Manhattan horizon. His name was Jacob Parks and he had never been to New York City before.
He went into Ron’s Repair and met his boss Ron Morris. Ron had been told to hire Jacob, but is still not happy with someone as introverted and odd as Jacob working for him. Jacob promises to be no trouble and can work his way around a car. Ron tells him that New York is no place for a slow worker, and Jacob promises to work fast.
Ron’s wife Samantha comes over to the shop one day to say hi to the new employees and is a bit taken aback by Jacob’s raw nervousness. She asks where he lives and it is in the apartment building across the street from her, Ron, and their daughter Jane. She invites him over to dinner, much to Ron’s disdain, and Jacob refuses with some hostility. She tells him not to be afraid of her, and he later accepts with overtly restrained happiness.
Jacob comes over and meets the whole family. Ron asks him where he lived and what he did before moving here but Jacob remains vague and elusive, simply saying he lived around Pittsburgh doing odd jobs. Ron leaves for an emergency at the store, leaving the three of them together. Samantha offers a tour of the apartment, and Jacob hears Jane trying to play the piano. He carefully goes over to her and helps her get the keys right. Samantha is impressed and interested in Jacob’s ability to play and asks him to teach Jane to play. Jacob says he can’t and is a bit nervous, but Samantha convinces him and both are happy to continue seeing each other.
Jacob goes back and forth between Ron’s Repair and Ron’s family’s apartment while simply lying around and counting the seconds in his own. He becomes closer to Jane and especially to Samantha. She tells him that she knows he doesn’t have actual emergency repairs late at night and that she is thankful Jane has a consistent male presence in her life since Ron isn’t around. Jacob tells her it’s nothing and has enjoyed their time as well. Samantha tries to get physically closer as well but Jacob refuses with nervous energy.
Ron spots him with his wife and beings to ask questions to the local police chief in his precinct. He asks him to find something about this guy, that he is worried he will hurt his family. Police Chief Rawlins says he usually doesn’t do something like that for private citizens, but Ron gives him a handsome finder’s fee. Rawlins sees what he can do and contacts Pittsburgh’s police department.
Jacob comes back over to teach Jane but only Samantha is there. She tells him that she can see the hurt and trauma underneath him and tries to get him to talk, but he says it would change everything about who he is to her. Samantha doesn’t care and says she knows more about him through these weeks than anything else can. Jacob is about to cry, trying desperately to explain. Samantha tears up too and touches his face. Jacob finally gives in and embraces Samantha but right as they look at each other, Ron and Police Chief Rawlins come in to arrest him. Samantha screams why and Jacob tries to resist but gets hurt badly by Ron. He tells Samantha he’s sorry and taken to the precinct jail tank.
Jacob calls his lawyer and Linda hurries from Pittsburgh to be there the next morning. Ron demands to know why this pervert is living near them or with his kid and Samantha is shocked by this accusation. Linda tries to explain, but Jacob finally loses control and tells them what happened in Pittsburgh. He was arrested and tried to the rape and murder of a 9-year-old girl he was giving piano lessons to. All the evidence they had was circumstantial; she had died a mile from his studio, and his fingerprints were on her as well as hair. He had never had a prior criminal charge and it was blown out of proportion.
He was eventually cleared for lack of evidence but his reputation was finished. His studio closed down, but his lawyer Linda stayed with him and found him a job repairing cars in New York with the help of the courts that had wronged him. Everyone listening casts their eyes down, but Ron simply shakes his head in disgust and takes his family with him. Rawlins releases Jacob and Linda tries to hug him, but not before he bursts out of the station in tears.
Jacob is clearing out his apartment in silence when Samantha knocks on his door. He turns around in surprise and shame, but Samantha comes in regardless. She tells him not to leave, that they could make each other’s lives better. She says that their relationship has been the most real one she has had in a very long time and that Jacob has helped Jane as well. Jacob says that he wants to stay more than anything, that he would start a life with her if he could, but she can’t leave what she has and he doesn’t even know how to begin a normal relationship again. Samantha is in tears and Jacob comes in to hug her but she can’t unfold her arms. He kisses her on the cheek and Linda comes up to help him leave. Samantha wipes her tears away, looks out the window and sees Jacob drive away in Linda’s car with the cold Manhattan horizon preparing for winter.
Awards Campaign:
James Gray is quickly becoming a formidable force in American filmmaking with a focus on slow-moving character dramas that yield remarkable emotional results. His breakthrough film Two Lovers and this year’s The Immigrant show his taste for distinctly 70’s-style dramas that favor atmosphere and characters over immediate resolution and over-emotional pyrotechnics. And through his journey he has found the ultimate face of his style with Joaquin Phoenix who does nothing less in “Remorse” than give the performance of a lifetime.
“Remorse” is a film that is carried on Phoenix’s shoulders as a sheltered, humble, and shattered man with a traumatic past. His mannerisms and speech are all carefully calculated with either deep pain or unbridled happiness hidden under a sheen of nervous suspicion. As Jacob, Phoenix is given a chance to revert back to his beautifully subtle acting, none of his crazy smiles and loud readings we are accustomed to seeing. Gray has used Phoenix in most of his movies and he is just as effective and subtly beautiful here.
Vera Farmiga also gets the role of a lifetime as Samantha, what could have been another boring depressed housewife role is turned into something much more tender and heartfelt. Gray has always had a way with turning what could be huge melodramatics into quiet, heart-breaking moments and Farmiga does that just as well. She may seem inviting and showy, but she ends up being just as vulnerable and guarded as Jacob. Her journey of attraction to him and their ultimate resolution is one of breathtaking beauty and raw emotion.
The supporting cast is also fantastic with Neal McDonough in a big comeback performance as the suspicious and jealous Ron. McDonough uses his outward masculinity to masks the insecurities of his character beautifully. Sigourney Weaver is also a great choice as Jacob’s big-hearted lawyer with two pivotal scenes that show her commitment to her client and her principles.
Technically, the movie is just stunning led by an astounding turn by legendary cinematographer Vittorio Storaro. His muddy color palettes, sharp angles, and dramatic clashes between character and color are on display in Gray’s dank, cold New York, his favorite city to shoot in. John Axelrad’s editing is also perfectly suited for the slow pace of the story, but it is composer Gabriel Yared who really shines with a quiet and contemplative score that gives each emotional scene even more tender beauty. He is able to punch up the film so well, you hardly even notice the score because it fits so perfectly with the drama.
And while Gray and frequent collaborator Ric Menello’s screenplay features enough dark pasts and fragile romances to create a very depressing movie, “Remorse” is nevertheless one of the most beautiful films of the year. It allows the audience to, above all, be taken in by the connection between Phoenix and Farmiga (who have remarkable chemistry) and witness the birth of what could be true love. The bond between two lonely people has always been Gray’s trademark and it becomes the anchor to a film that remains as mysterious, hurt, and loving as its main protagonist. A remarkable film.
Nominations:
Best Picture
Best Actor – Joaquin Phoenix
Best Actress – Vera Farmiga
Best Supporting Actor – Neal McDonough
Best Director – James Gray
Best Original Screenplay – James Gray and Ric Menello
Best Score
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Editing